Article summary

• Hot cars pose a serious danger to children year-round, and temperatures inside a closed vehicle can rise by 20°F in as little as 10 minutes—making it potentially fatal to leave a child unattended, even briefly.
• Most hot-car tragedies occur when children are accidentally forgotten in the back seat during a change in routine. To prevent this, always check the back seat before leaving your car, keep vehicles locked and store keys out of reach, and use technology like Rear Seat Reminder alerts.
• If you're traveling with children in summer, pre-cool your vehicle, bring plenty of water and cover metal buckles and surfaces that may cause burns. If you spot a child alone in a hot car, call 911 immediately.

Hot cars are a year-round threat to children, but when summer temperatures peak, the window of time one can survive being trapped in a vehicle becomes alarmingly short. According to the National Safety Council, an average of 37 children under the age of 15 die each year from vehicle-related heatstroke. As a car safety advocate for more than 100 years, AAA has prepared a list of tips to help you avoid these heat-related dangers. 

How quickly can a car heat up for children?

In as little as 10 minutes, a vehicle's interior can heat up to 20°F. And because a child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's, leaving a child in a car unattended can quickly lead to heatstroke or death.

The table below indicates how quickly the temperature inside a closed car increases based on outside temperature. 

Why hot-car deaths happen

Many hot-car tragedies occur when a child is accidentally forgotten in the back seat during a change in routine or a busy day. Others happen when children gain access to an unlocked vehicle while playing.

For this reason, prevention starts before every trip. Make a habit of checking the back seat every time you park, even when traveling alone. Keep vehicles locked when not in use, and store keys and fobs out of children's reach.

Safety advice to protect children

AAA recommends the following tips to help avoid heat-related dangers for children:

• Never leave a child alone in a parked vehicle, even for a minute, and always check the back seat before leaving your car.
• Use technology assists like the Rear Seat Reminder alert that comes standard on most modern vehicles. These alerts will automatically prompt you to check the back seat when you turn off the vehicle.
  • Door-logic systems: A standard system where a car's computer registers if you open a rear door within 10 minutes of starting the vehicle (or while it is running). When you arrive at your destination and turn the engine off, the system assumes you put something or someone in the back, triggering audible chimes and a visual warning on the instrument cluster.
  • Sensor-based and advanced systems: Premium systems that use ultrasonic sensors, radar, or seatbelt sensors to actively monitor the back seat. They detect motion or micro-movements (like breathing) even if the rear door wasn't opened prior to driving. If motion is detected after the vehicle is parked and locked, the system can flash hazard lights, honk the horn or send a notification to your smartphone.
• Place an essential item, like a phone or purse, in the back seat as a reminder. This is a simple routine recommended by NHTSA that can help prevent you from leaving children unattended in hot vehicles.
• Call 911 immediately if you see a child alone in a hot car. Some states have Good Samaritan laws that allow civilians to forcibly enter a vehicle to rescue a vulnerable person. But in all states, calling for emergency help is both permitted and encouraged. 

Additional hot weather safety tips for families

When traveling with children during the summer:

• Pre-cool the vehicle before loading children into their car seats.
• Bring plenty of drinking water and encourage regular hydration.
• Schedule breaks during long trips so children can cool off and stretch.
• Cover metal seatbelt buckles and hot surfaces that may cause burns after a vehicle has been parked in the sun.
• Watch for signs of heat-related illness, including flushed skin, lethargy, dizziness, excessive thirst or unusual irritability.

Don't fear the heat; instead, use caution

Commutes with a child should be safe and comfortable. With the right precautions met, the warm weather of summer can be one of the best times of year to get out and enjoy all that the longer days and sunny landscapes can offer. As always, just plan ahead, put safety first and enjoy the ride with your children.